Director Geordie Brookman said his State Theatre South Australia production of Sense & Sensibility was "Jane Austen on theatrical steroids."
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He said, "The beautiful thing about it is Austen was so on the progressive edge ... what Kate Hamill has done is added this sense of theatrical innovation."
He said Hamill's adaptation of the classic novel, now playing at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, laid out particular challenges: "It moves incredibly fast, with 35 different scenes in 15 different locations in very rapid time."
For him, the main thing to do with the show was convey "a sense of joy" and to that end he combined period costumes and settings with contemporary pop music — " a perfect example of joyfulness" — ranging from Kate Bush to Richard Marx to Wendy Matthews ; gender-crossing in both directions (partly a matter of necessity given the limited number of actors) and roller skates.
But, he said, there was a serious side to the story too in Austen's critique of people and society including the way society put pressure on relationships.
"Some of the social aspects are more specific to her time but it still speaks very, very strongly to us — of people to believe in themselves and how important the pursuit of happiness is."
Miranda Daughtry plays Marianne Dashwood, one of the two central sisters, who represents the "Sensibility" of the title, compared to Elinor (Anna Steen) who has more "Sense".
Both are seeking husbands after their father dies leaving the Dashwood family in reduced circumstances. Daughtry said of Marianne, "She's a passionate character, highly romantic and very much led by her heart the whole time."
She said Marianne "is very trusting of people and their goodness in a world that's not kind to young women, who are a commodity".
Daughtry admitted to being like Marianne, "somewhat regretfully" and said she had loved Austen's books since she was a teenager.
Echoing Brookman, she said the production captured the joy of the story and said that in addition to the roller skates that appeared in the production there was also another wheeled device.
"You'll have to wait and see for that one!"
Sense & Sensibility is on at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre until June 2. canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 62752700.
